Arguably the player that featured most in the ‘young players to watch’ at the World Cup was Mr Hirving Lozano. The Mexican forward was talked up an awful lot before the tournament in Russia and he didn’t disappoint. He got the only goal of the game as Mexico stunned the world when they beat then defending champions Germany. There was a lot more to him than just goals, though. One thing that jumped out to me from the PSV forward was his incredible work rate. The number of times he was back in his own third throwing his body on the line was outstanding and if Manchester United can acquire him, it will be a valuable signing.
Player Profile
As you can see from the positional markers, Lozano is versatile in where he can play. Left side, right side, take your pick, he can do it. Could he probably do a job in the middle? I’d imagine so. You can get a brief understanding of the stats he’s shown this season in the Eredivisie, however, the best way to look at how impressive he has been to compare him against some of United’s current front men.
Comparison
Now, I’ve defaulted this to chances per ninety-minutes so it’s fair. As you can see, Alexis Sanchez has played a lot less than the ones he’s up against due to only joining United in the winter transfer window. Assists and chances created are the two that immediately jump off the page. Admittedly, he’s only a touch ahead of the other three but the 0.06 difference (in the case of Rashford and Mata) could be the difference between winning in the dying moments of the game or drawing. Let’s face it, there’s bound to be at least one game where United can’t break down a ‘lesser’ side at home.
Moreover, he’s creating 0.5 more chances than anybody else. Again, that could end up making all the difference, especially in the latter part of the season when it matters the most. You can do a lot of things with stats, but the one thing you can’t do is argue with them. It’s there in black and white. Looking at the final two stats, he’s miles behind Alexis Sanchez, but you’d expect that as Sanchez has several years on the 23-year-old who celebrates his birthday today. Compared to the other three, Lozano is streets ahead.
Conclusion
I’m torn with how I feel about this. There’s no denying that he would be a fabulous signing for United. Saying that, there is one gripe that I’ve got with the Mexican’s potential move to Lancashire. Of course, I am referring to Jose Mourinho. We can argue until we’re blue in the face about Martial’s lack of progression since he moved to United, I just don’t want us to be having the same conversation about Hirving Lozano two years down the line. A majestic signing, if it happens. The right fit? The jury is still out.
